Being Anonymous, you do not possess a name or distinctive facial features. Your skin color is green.

Now, let us move on to your stats. You get two points to allocate in any of the following categories.

>Strength: A measure of your physical prowess. Currently at level 1, which is slightly above average for your gender. >Stealth: A measure of how silently you move through the world. Currently at level 0. You move as quietly as the average human person.>Magic Affinity: How attuned you are to magic. Enables you to operate or break enchantments. Also effects your magic resistance. Your human nature gives you one level in this, making you slightly harder to effect with magic, and giving you the ability to steal magic from weak-willed targets who are unconscious or recently deceased.>Charisma: How well you convince people to do things. This is currently at level 0. You are charismatic as the average person.>Cleverness: Your ability to figure out novel solutions to problems, as well as your ability to use technology. Currently at level 0. >Tenacity. You cannot upgrade this skill, because you are already at the maximum level, level 20. You never give up. Ever.

>>23630409
You have gained one point each in stealth and charisma, giving you:>Strength: 1>Stealth: 1>Magic Affinity: 1>Charisma: 1>Cleverness: 0>Tenacity: 20

You may now chose a perk. You get these automatically:

>Faceless: You do not posses any facial features. Increased intimidation and makes it harder for ponies to read your expression.>Nameless: possessing no true name, you are immune to magic that requires one. This includes all common forms of mind control.>Human physique: you're a human. This allows you to be a bit scarier, a bit faster, and a bit stronger than the typical pony

You may chose two more:

>Fast learner. Decreases the threshold for leveling up.>Bullshitter: You're good at making up stories. Increases the chance of a deception check working.>Dark Knight: doubles your ability to blend in with the dark, making you better at stealth checks when it is dark. You are marginally worse when it's light out.>Musician: doubles your effectiveness at fighting when fast music is playing somewhere in the room. Doubles your effectiveness with stealth when slow music is playing somewhere in the room.>Genre Savvy: subtle details that become important are less subtle >Strong Stomach: Increased resistance to poison or bad food. Greatly increases the amount of alcohol you can consume before becoming intoxicated>Temptress: Increases the chances of a seduction roll succeeding marginally. Also increases your intimidate chance in some scenarios.

>There's leaves beneath you>That rather minor detail is the only thing that's immediately obvious. Not the best way to wake up, really. Leaves are scratchy. Not something you'd normally sleep on.>But... Wait a minute, is it?>You can't seem to remember sleeping. Ever. You can remember the idea of sleeping, you can remember various styles of bed, but... not doing it yourself>Come to think about it, you can't even remember your name.>You put a hand downwards and push yourself into a sitting position.>It's humid. Uncomfortably so. You briefly wonder what the hell possessed you to put on a fucking suit in this weather.>"All my years of work, finally come to a conclusion! That is... if you are not mere illusion.">Holy shit>No fucking way>That's—that's Zecora's voice>You turn your head to face the noise, and can barely believe your eyes. The Zebra stands looking at you. She's a lot... greyed, than you remembered from the show.>(Genre Savvy) Her eyes also have a wide, almost desperate quality to them.>You realize that she was asking you a question
"No, not an illusion.">"Then I have succeeded! You, my friend, are what we have needed."
"Uh... what did you need?">"One who could free us from the grasp of his fist. I humbly swear, I will do my best to assist.">Ok. This is... strange."
"I'm not following.">"Do you truly not know? Or is this merely a show?"
"Nope. I'm completely lost.">"Hm. Do you at least know of him? Tirek, who has turned Equestria dim?">Didn't...>Wait, but he got his ass kicked.

>>23631070>>23631013
"Tirek. How long ago did Princess Twilight fight him?">"That time was ten years past, a short time for despair so vast.">You try to clam the growing panic in your chest
"What happened, exactly?">"They fought hard and they fought long, but in the end, the monster was too strong."
"And what's happened since then? How—how are they?">"I fear they all are most unwell. Most are mindless, just a shell. Rainbow Dash patrols the skies, by his control she flies. Applejack patrols the land, taking out the strong who stand. Rarity is his seamstress, making him clothes of great sweetness. Pinkie Pie has disappeared, abandoned the world she once cheered. Fluttershy tends his pets, administering love—and administering threats. As for Twilight, I fear the worst—like the the other Princesses, in Tartarus, she is submersed.">You loosen your collar, trying to make it easier to breathe
"And hows—Fuck, how's the world doing? Ponyville, Canterlot?">"Ponies go about their days, performing duties in a daze. All exists merely for his pleasure—he lives the only life of leisure."

>>23631272
"Guess that's... something I gotta fix.">You continue taking deep breaths, trying to calm yourself
"Any particular reason you summoned me?">"The ancient scrolls said you were the best, that only the nameless one would face such a test."
"Cool. Right.">Well, sister, you are in way fucking over your head
"So what's the plan?">"...You mean you do not have a plan of action?">Zecora sits down, face slowly falling>"Perhaps the ritual was not completed to satisfaction."
"No, I just—Look.">You're trying to think of something to say when you hear a whooshing noise above you>Zecora stands up in a panic>"It is her, the one in blue! Take cover before, she finds you!">She jumps a surprising distance, disappearing into the darkness>You crane your neck upwards to see a flash of rainbow light, fading out of the sky>With another whoosh, another joins it, crossing at a right angle>That's Rainbow Dash>Fuck>You glance around, trying to find a place to hide>There's a bush to your left that might work, and some pretty thick-looking vines to your right>You hear another whoosh, a lot lower this time>Fuck>Chose quickly

>>23631555I'll take trips>The bush. Smaller, but that's probably a good thing, right?>You dive inside, quickly covering yourself with branches>Thank god it doesn't have spikes or spines>You also thing to turn a few leaves sideways, covering your skin better (Stealth)>You breathe more shallow, trying to be less conspicuous. >You can see out of the bush>Which makes it all the more horrifying when Rainbow slams down on the ground, right in front of you>Surprisingly, she still has her cutie mark. It does, however, have a red HANDPRINT over it. (GS)>Which is kind of concerning>She's wearing some kind of helmet that covers her face. The visor has to be a one-way mirror or something, because you can't see through it.>She looks around.>You stop breathing.>After doing several rotations, she presses a large blue button on the side of her helmet with a wing>"No signs of an anomaly. Hoofprints in the ground. Zebra, probably.">Her voice is oddly monotone—not like the Dash you know>Like her VA was hungover, or something>"Affirmative.">She takes off again, blasting your face with air>Oh, Jesus>That was fucking close>"The pegasus with coat of blue... it is very good she did not notice you.">JESUS>You almost have a heart attack at Zecora's voice
"Yeah. Fuck.">"Come, to my house. Your questions I will answer, woes I will douse.">You nod, following the Zebra.>Her house is in surprisingly good shape.>When you get inside, she closes the door and moves a dresser in front of it>"Ask quickly. It may be soon that my luck becomes sickly."

>>23632210
"Are you doing alright?">"Better, now that you are here. Soon, though, I may have to disappear. The rules are strict, and I do not wish to cause visible conflict."
"What's controlling Dash?">"Of that I am unaware. Perhaps the helmet she is forced to wear?"

You can ask multiple questions in one postAlso I just realized I probably have to sleep rather soon. Not reeeallllyyy sure if it's going to live while I'm gone. Oh well.

>>23632346
"Is there anybody that can help us in Ponyville?">"Equestria is firmly in Tirek's hands. To properly defeat him, you must visit foreign lands.">You raise an eyebrow
"Foreign lands?">"Griffons, Changelings, Dragons too—all may be of great help to you.">Hm.
"Are they free?">"Free from him but still under a duress, their leaders are obsessed with security—and feeling stressed. Totally isolated they stand alone, it is this conflict you may need to atone.">Zecora leans in close to you and whispers>"There is also another one. One part of my spell was bringing you into play. The other half I haven't seen firsthand—it cast strange machines throughout the land. Artifacts from the place you hail from. I only hope that you can find some."

>>23632479
"You're going to come with me, right?">"I am afraid I cannot do that. If I disappear, ponies may begin to chat.">Right, fuck
"Have anything that will help me out along the way?">Zecora opens her mouth to answer, but suddenly stops>She perks an ear up, listening>Her face turns pale and she leans into you, voice becoming a whisper>"Quickly, you must hide! And do not be a hero—have no pride!">She gestures to small hole in her wall, where the shelf she has in front of the door used to be>You quickly squeeze into it. It's a tight fit, but you make it.>She pushes the shelf in front of you. Seconds later, you hear a knock on the door>"Open up, Zebra!">To your surprise, it's a female voice that's yelling>You hear a door squeak>"King Tirek is sick of you in this forest. Today's little light show was the last straw.">Zecora doesn't respond>"What, too scared to talk? Well, you should be.">You breathe more shallow as you hear the voice pace near you>"You're coming with me. Straight to the mines for you. And we're gonna burn your little hut... to the ground!">The voice pauses>"Stoic, eh? Did I mention how bad the mines are? Twelve hours of hard labor, daily. You'd better hope the warden doesn't take a fancy to you, neither, or you might have to do that while carrying a foal!">Still silence>Then a loud crash>"Huh? React, dammit!">You grit your teeth>Zecora said to not help her>But god... fucking... dammit...>The voice keeps circling the room, occasionally moving back next to your shelf. It gets pretty damn close, too.>The words kind of blur. Lots and lots of ranting about how much of a freak she was. Really, it seems rather aimless for this kind of arrest.

>>23640969>Well, if she's going to be so kind as to continuously walk in front of an oak dresser...>You wait and listen>"You're nothing. Nothing. Just a freak in the woods about to learn her place. In twenty minutes we're gonna get the flamers out here, and all of this is gonna be gone. You're gonna be some Diamond Dog's bitch!">That's close enough>You press your full weight against the dresser, kicking against the wall with your legs>The dresser tilts slowly, but eventually is knocked off balance>"You are—AHHHH!">Well, you misjudged slightly>She was a bit to the right>As a result, you've only crushed about half of her body—and it's the lower half, so she's still fully conscious>"WHAT—WHAT ARE YOU? WHAT THE—OH GOD! AHHHH!">Zecora looks at you with shocked eyes>"While I am thankful for your assistance, you have alerted them to your existence!">The mare continues to scream on the ground>Hm. She said twenty minutes.>That gives you maybe ten if you want to get away>Think fast!

>>23642039>>23641960>Well, no use having her scream>You kick her in the head as hard as you can>She just starts screaming harder>Fucking hell, you need to—>"That will take too long, Anonymous. It will be faster to do it with this.">Zecora holds up a rather nasty-looking metal club>Yeah, that should knock her out faster, but...>It would be pretty fucking easy to kill her with that>Then again, maybe you want to do that? You don't exactly need Tirek to know you exist. . . >Of course, you'd like to not become a murderer. >So, use the club or keep kicking?

>>23642198>>23642192>>23642187>Club it is>"PLEASE! DON'T LET HER KILL ME! NOT A FUCKING ZIGGER, ANYTHING BUT—">You kick her again, breaking her jaw>Yeah, fucking club it is>You take it in your hands>You're suddenly reminded of baseball. Which is a bit odd in the situation>You swing it above your head and bring it down>Pretty fucking hard>She stops making noise>Any noise>Or... moving, in general>A small trickle of blood pools on the floor below her neck>Zecora looks down at her>"I suppose I should not be surprised. These kinds of actions are necessary to remove what is despised.">You guess that you have about eight minutes before you need to jet

>>23642333>You shove the bookshelf off of her, checking her cutie mark>It's a picture of a large hoofprint>There is not, however, a hand over it. How strange.>You turn to Zecora
"We gotta run. Any supplies?">"I have basic provisions inside of a pack. Anything greater, I fear I lack.">You nod
"And that is...">Zecora points at a bag in the corner of a room>You pick it up and put the strap over your shoulder.
"Where are we heading?">"We are going to go our separate ways. With a killing like this, the guard will chase me for days. If I were to be caught they'd kill anyone with me. It's better if we go alone, that much is plain to see.">Hm.>Six minutes.

>>23642467>You place a hand on the dead pony, trying to steal its magic>You can do that, apparently>Something in your head tells you that, at least>It doesn't seem to work on her, though—maybe she's too powerful, or something?>You stand up and turn to Zecora
"I'm going to go after the Changelings. What direction are they in?">"South is the direction you desire, if you want to contact green fire."
"And... what direction is South?">Zecora points with a hoof>"You should travel through the forest near the border. There, its wild mingles with pony's order.">Ok. So just follow the edge of the forest until it stops>Then...>Keep walking, you guess.>Maybe you should check out Ponyville before you go. See how bad it is. >Four minutes

>>23642763>>23642746
"Thanks.">Zecora just nods>You take off>You're sure to stay as inconspicuous as you can, running through mostly open spaces whenever you can>Which is not very often>Thankfully, the plants tend to be more leafy and green then dead, and you don't leave that much of a trail>After about a half hour of jogging, you stop>You're tired, and you're pretty sure there's enough ground between you and her hut>So...>Let's see. You have a pack with contents you don't know>You're pretty sure that Ponyville is just a bit east of where you are>What do you do?

>>23642893>You check your pack>Hm. Two small jugs of water>A loaf of bred>A compass>A map>And—thank god—a small knife>You don't have much food or water, but it's a decent enough haul>Unfortunately, all the running combined with the intense jungle heat has made you pretty damn thirsty>And you really don't have much water...

>>23642971>Hm. Ok. Water. >That has to be priority number one.>You look around for any sign of a stream>There's a rather large amount of vines to your left. Maybe...>You walk into the patch of vines and start making your way through it. Since you're trying to be subtle, it's slow work, but you do make progress. >Five minutes later—which only gets you about ten feet—and you're standing in front of a stream>It's about twenty feet wide, and it flows south>It doesn't look like it's running too fast. Probably something that would be fun to tube down back home. >"Stop in this clearing. Rest a bit.">Oh>OH FUCK>You are the luckiest person alive, because those are two guard voices>You—>Jesus H Christ, this is too close for comfort>"Can't believe she killed Hoofstomper.">"Yeah.">There's a pause>"Bitch kind of deserved it, though. Liked her job way too much.">"Ppfft. Glad I'm not the only one thinking it.">"So, foals doing alright?">"Ruler Alignment is starting school next week.">"He got his magic drained already?">"Yeah, per protocol. I hope he pleases his handlers enough to get it back. Y'know, he's our first unicorn, so it would be nice if he could learn to cast spells. Help out his mom.">"You being in the guard should help.">"Yeah."

>>23643209>Hm. Maybe you can scare them off?>You rustle the vines and put on your best ghost voice>"W-What was that?"
"Leeeeavvveeee...">"It's that zebra!"
"Nooowwww...">"Strongwing, it's not rhyming. Zebras rhyme."
"Beeggonnneee...">"...We need backup. This is probably the result of whatever ritual she was doing.">"I'll go. You stay here.">Hm>Maybe showing yourself was not such a good idea...>Well, fuck. Caught between a guard and a wet place.

>>23643603>You ball your hands into fists>If you want to get out of here alive, you gotta take out the guy running for help>Or, hopefully, walking for help>You skirt along the edges of the stream. It sounded like he was going to the north, back towards Zecora's hut.>So all you need to do is follow him>You're careful to step on harder-looking piles of mud, so your shoes don't make squishing noises>Thank Christ you're wearing men's dress shoes. Heels would have fucked you over hard.>After a bit of chasing, you're stopped by a voice>"W-Who is that?">The vines to your left rustle, as if somebody is trying to cut through them>"Get! Go away!">Hm. So you caught up to him>But you've also alerted him to your presence>What do?

>>23665967
Also, quick note: You are larger than a pony, but you have 0 points in strength. As a result, you aren't "much bigger and stronger." Most combat-trained males are more than able to handle you.

I'm telling you this now because it's a different convention than what most other stories use, and I don't want you to fuck yourselves because you've made reasonable assumptions.

>>23665560>Hm. Maybe climbing a tree?>You highly doubt that he'd think to look up>You look around. Unfortunately, you see no trees here—just a big patch of vines>There is one about fifty feet ahead of you, but that area is just past a clearing. If you run to it, you'll be exposed for multiple seconds. He'll certainly see you.>Perhaps you could distract him?>Of course, climbing a tree does leave you at a dead end. If they figure out where you are, you're going to be kind of screwed. Perhaps you may find an alternate route?

>>23666464>Hm.>This fight is not one you can really take. There's two of them, probably armed, and you're just some girl without any combat training.>The best thing to do is probably to just leave. But how?>You glance at the river behind you>Well, you don't really fancy getting your clothes wet, but it seems like the best possible option. It's shallow enough that its undertoe is probably not that bad, and slow-moving enough that you can reliably tread water>Hell, it should move you faster than you can on foot>You take two steps over to it, ignoring the guard's continued vine-rattling. You dip a toe inside>It's surprisingly warm. Must be the jungle environment.>You slip your leg inside, trying to make as little noise as possible. Behind you, the vines rustle>Your other leg follows it, then the rest of your body>The water's a bit faster than you originally thought, but you're able to keep your head above water>Your pack, thankfully, floats—so you're not going to have to eat soggy-ass bread>In a way, actually, this journey is relaxing. Not as much effort as walking, and you're still moving in the right direction>Within minutes you're past where you originally moved through the vines, and shortly after that you're far enough away where it's all barely visible>You take a moment to survey your situation.>The water you are in is mildly cold. It's probably causing you to burn more calories in order to maintain body heat. This may be a reason to get out of it soon.>On the other hand, leaving the water is going to put you on the shore, and this place is probably going to be crawling with guards very quickly. You'll want to move away from them, deeper into the forest—where you could get lost. This, of course, would be quite bad.>Then again, maybe there's some third option...

>>23666827>You continue along the stream for about an hour>Eventually, however, it starts moving a bit too fast for comfort>You manage to crawl your way out of it—just in time for your stomach to growl

You are now hungry.

>You glance around at where you disembarked>You are in a small clearing. Tall grass surrounds you in a twenty-foot-wide circle. At the edges, black-wooded trees with huge green leaves cast long shadows over your body. There's a pile of long-dead lumber at the edge opposite the stream, probably deposited there by flooding.>It's early dawn. >Your clothes are soaking wet. This will probably make you louder when walking, and increase the effort it takes to walk around.

>>23667462>Hm. Wet clothes aren't really gonna help you with anything.>You strip nude. Worse comes to worse you get raped by some sort of forest creature>Which you'd be kind of ok with, maybe?>Like, it has to be more horrifying than hot when it actually happens, but...>Ah well. You hang the clothes from some branches and cover them up with the leaves>You start walking away from the river, trying to find some food or something>Maybe some berries?>You keep checking bushes, but all seem barren>After walking for a bit, the trees begin to change shape>Their bark starts fading from black into brown>The ground below is still tangled with vines and other various undergrowth, but these don't look like Everfree trees>In fact, they look rather like...>"What are you?">You jump, turning to face the voice>A yellow earth pony mare with a red mane stares at you

>>23668499>Time to play dumb, you suppose>You are a blonde naked chick
"I don't remember anything, I seem to have fallen into the river, because that's where I woke—">"IF Y'ALL THINK THIS IS GONNA WORK, Y'ALL CRAZY!">The pony throws her head back in the air, screaming at the sky>She stops and scowls at you>"Go away. I ain't fallin' for this. They sent plenty of pretty mares before. Dunno why they think a pretty alien would work.">Jesus Christ, she was loud>Loud enough to make you nervous, even.

>>23669172>You cower, which is something that's pretty fucking easy to do >You're actually scared to death>Dash probably has good hearing, and that pony just screamed incredibly loud
"Thank you for calling me pretty, but I—I have no idea who you're talking about!">"Ya know darn right who they are!"
"No, I don't! I really don't!">"Ya do. Your handlers. Tryin'a get me to join up with the guard corps. But I AIN'T JOININ!">She throws her head back again>"AND THERE AIN'T NOTHIN' YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT! UNLESS YA WANT MY SISTER TO GO BERSERK LIKE LAST TIME!"
"I really don't know! If you want me to leave I will, but—please, stop screaming.">The pony tilts her head>"Y'all... really don't know, do ya?"
"No.">"Hm.">She holds out a hoof>"Name's Applebloom."

>>23669332>You grab her hoof and shake
"My name's Anonymous.">"A-anonymous?">She squints her eyes>"Is that ya real name?"
"I mean... I can't actually remember that, but it seems appropriate.">"And what happened to your face?"
"Oh, it's...">You run a finger down it>Fuck, what the hell is up with your eyes>How do they even work, it's just flesh—
"I don't know.">"Hm. Well, y'all have any clothes?"
"I do.">"Go get 'em.">You nod, walking back into the trees. You grab your clothes and carry them back, still naked>"Hm. A lotta clothes to wear in a forest."
"Y-Yeah. I guess.">She sits down>"So, y'all don't remember anythin?"

>>23669498
"I do, actually. I just needed to make sure you weren't one of those ponies who worked with Tirek.">Applebloom raises an eyebrow>"Odd way of doing it. Walkin' naked into the middle of an orchard."
"Simplest way I could find.">You lean carefully against a tree, trying to avoid getting any splinters in your back or ass
"I had some trouble with guards earlier. The truth is that I have no idea how I got here in the first place.">"Hm. Kinda odd. You sure you ain't a succubus?"
"Succubus?">"Sex demon. Those have been getting out of Tartarus for a while now."
"I don't think I am. Sex is on my mind, but it's not the first thing.">She laughs>"Well, I suppose that's alright. You need me for anything?"
"I need to get further south. But I also need a place to stay for a while.">"I would offer ta let ya stay at mah house, but... well, they come in the night sometimes. I could feed ya, though.">Applebloom shifts uncomfortably>"Any reason ya need to get south?"

>>23670558
"I'm kidding.">"I was too. Talkin' bout that queen they have down there. If she's even still alive."
"I mean... Hm, shit. I have been thinking about sex a lot, and I don't have any memories. You don't think I am a succubus, do you?">You bite a finger, concerned>Like... you do remember Anon having lots and lots of needless, mindless sex in those stories>So maybe... I mean, you're the female version of him, right?>So there's a chance you...>"Ah doubt it. You're been naked in front of me for almost ten minutes and you ain't even tried to sleep with me yet. Guessin' a succubus wouldn't be able to control herself."

>>23670734
"You're probably right. You're attractive enough. A succubus wouldn't be as overdressed as I am.">She giggles>"Well, thank ya kindly."
"But really.">You stand up, trying not to show off too much>"Any way you could dry these off more? I gotta get back on the move.">"You seem... like ya have a plan, here. You sure ya don't remember anythin'?"

>>23670837
"I don't remember anything. My plan's based on... new information.>"New info?"
"Zecora told me. About what happened. I'm going to, uh, try to fix it.">Applejack looks away from you, up at the tree she's sitting under>"Tall order for one gal."
"I know. But... Hey, could you help me out a bit?">"Wit what?"
"You mentioned handlers. Who, exactly, are they? And what happened with Applejack?">Appleboom's head snaps to look at you>"What did y'all say?"
"Uh... what happened with Applejack?">She stands up, and crosses the distance between you scarily fast>Next thing you know, her hoof is on your chest>Rather uncomfortably between your breasts, actually>"How'd you know 'bout that?"
"You—you were saying that y-your sister—">"How did you know she's mah sister?"

>>23670837
Since it's sort of unclear as to if this was supposed to be a lie or not, I'm going to establish what you do remember. Basically, you have all the knowledge a typical human being on Earth (living in America, I suppose) would have, minus any kind of personal information.

You also remember MLP:FiM (as a cartoon) and a variety of time spent on 4chan—again, stripped of any identifying or personal info.

>>23671061
"Ze-zecora told me something about Applejack. But I seem to, uh, know a lot about that already.">"What ya mean?"
"I just... I know that Applejack was an element of harmony with a family, even without Zecora telling me. And, you know, similar names...">"And how'd ya know that?">She leans a bit more of her weight on you>For a little horse, she's heavy as fuck
"I just do!">You put a hand on her shoulder, reaching above you
"I'm—I promise, I will do anything to free them.">Applebloom looks you hard in the eye, then steps off your chest>"Knew you were moving with too much purpose for a wanderer. Not that it matters. Nothing can stop Tirek.">She glances again at the Apple tree, sighing>"Believe me. Lotsa folks have tried."

>>23675351
"I'll succeed.">"You won't. Nopony does. Either get killed or give up."
"Well... I'm trying either way.">You stand up
"I need some info. You mentioned handlers—who are they?">"The people that keep trying to recruit me. Guards, mostly. Thought you were another 'treat' to try and entice me."
"I saw a pony wearing a helmet, earlier. What was that?">"It has a thingy in it to let them talk to the people back at base. The higher-ups in the guard."
"Cool. Any way you could help get my clothes dried?">She shrugs>"I'd rather not be caught holdin' somebody who's going against them. I can get you some apples, maybe. That's about it."

>>23680381
No problem. I spent the vast majority of today murdering weeds with a weed whacker, which was better than shoveling or whatever. It's kind of enjoyable, really. Except when the grass fucks up your legs.

I will say that I'll be glad to start school. There's a good chance I'll be able to get a job doing IT work for their tech center, which will be a lot more enjoyable.

>>23680571
"That would help a lot. Maybe you have some kinda hayloft you could leave unlocked? Let me 'sneak in without your knowledge'">She shakes her head, laughing>"Naw. They'd see right through that. I ain't a good liar. Runs in the family.">Well, you tried.

>>23680864
"Is there anything along the way to the south?">"A pretty big outpost on the border. Other than that, nothin' I know of."
"Hm. Any chance I could do some 'work' for the local guards? Maybe figure out how they brainwash their slaves.">She tilts her head downwards>"Well, first of all, ya ain't exactly subtle there. Y'know, with the whole alien-without-a-face thing ya got goin' on.">You give an awkward grin>"Second off, the brainwashin' is only for mah sister and her friend Rainbow Dash. Everypony else joined willingly.">Hm. >That's... bad.>She seems to notice your reaction>"Yeah, thought the same thing maself. The day that ponies would betray the princesses for that monster... Well, it wasn't a day I was glad to see."
"The ponies who gave up. What happened to them?">"Magic removed. Court jesters now, mostly. Some disappeared. Mares a little bit more often.">That...>Has all sorts of fucking nasty implications>"Y'all better run along. I don't want ta get caught talkin' to yah."

>>23681092
"One last question. The other elements—any idea what happened to them?">"Pinkie's in charge of the gestures. Fluttershy's in charge of the pets. Rarity dresses him personally, ah think—whenever he makes a public appearance, his clothin' looks like somethin' she'd do. If he bothers tah wear clothes, that is. Twilight... well, I ain't seen her in ten years.">You close your eyes>Or, well—you don't have eyes, so—>Whatever, it's the fucking thought that counts, ok?>You close your eyes and rub your temples>You'd hoped that you would have an obvious friend or ally. Guess that would be too easy.
"Could I have those apples?">Applebloom kicks the tree next to her, knocking several off>"Take them and go. Fast. I think I hear somebody comin'.">You grab the apples, using your clothes as a shitty basket. There's five in all. They will, of course, bruise easily and perish quickly—you should probably eat them first>You stumble back into the Everfree, still butt-ass naked. Within a few minutes you're in the clearing again.>The river rushes to one side of you. The bundle of dead sticks sits on the other.

>>23681336>You find your bra and panties and put them on. You notice that your bra has a green question mark laced over both breasts, and a similar question mark graces the front of your panties>You look like the world's most shameless "sexy Riddler" cosplay>You search briefly in the woods for a cave, but quickly realize it's no use. There aren't even any hills around, much less the kind of mountains that typically contain caves>Sighing, you sit down and chew on an apple. You're sure to move out of the clearing first, of course—no need to get caught by anybody overhead>You try to survey your situation a bit. You have one map of Equestria, one compass, one kind-of-shitty knife, two loaves of bread, and four apples.>All of the Mane 6 seem to be in Tirek's control. You have no idea where the non-Twilight princesses are.>You have no allies

>>23681959>You dig a hole in the ground with your knife, burying the core inside>No use leaving a trace, right?>Now you have the problem of surveying your immediate surroundings for a way to keep moving. >As you can see it, you have a few options:>One, you could walk. This would be slow, but would leave very little trace, and make you very difficult to track.>Two, you could try to sneak onto a train, hobo-style. This does not sound like a good idea, but it would be fast as fuck.>Three, you could go down the river. You think that swimming is probably a bad idea. Maybe you can acquire a boat, kayak, canoe, or raft somehow? Probably via theft, of course. . .

>>23682183>You decide to walk. You start, holding your suit with your pouch on top>You feel absolutely ridiculous. You're basically some Amazonian woman strutting through a jungle in a bra and panties—something out of a bad porn comic>Thankfully, the jungle isn't too thick. In fact, on the forest floor, it seems pretty empty. There's mostly moss and little patches of vines, which you carefully step over>You walk for about an hour, alone with your thoughts.>You... really thought this would happen differently. Your visions of Equestria involved Twilight greeting you, staying in her palace, making lots of friends, fucking literally everybody to the point where Celestia declared you princess of whoredom, that kind of thing. Happy stuff.>Not... this bullshit. >You stop when you hear something in the distance>"No food out 'ere, is there?">"No food anywhere.">"We desire the food.">"We cannot find the food.">Two different voices>Incredibly similar, but distinctive. They're about... ten feet ahead of you, if you have to guess.>"We takes the break here. Sleep during day. Ponies not notice.">"We need no watch. Dark colored against dark leaves. Can afford to lose two drones anyway."

>>23682485>You inch closer to the source of the noise, trying to see what's happening>Unfortunately for you, you step on a branch hallway there>You hear rapid buzzing and see two black forms fly into the air>By the time you get to the clearing, it's empty>Fuck>Those were probably Changelings, and you just scared them off>...On the plus side, you see that they're flying south. So you are headed in the right direction.>You feel pretty thirsty.

>>23682859>Two days of walking later, and you're in... well, a bit of a rough spot>First off, your water is completely gone. As are your apples and all but a single slice of spread.>Secondly, the forest is done. It ends incredibly suddenly—one second forest, the next, plains >Fucking cartoons>You're currently peaking out from behind a tree, surveying the situation>There's a... thing, in front of you. The architecture is strange. Black stone pillars spiral out of the ground like tentacles, intersecting and swirling around each other. You see the occasional staircase and door, like something out of an MC Escher painting. >It seems to be mostly abandoned. There's the occasional guard, but you see no other ponies.>About a mile left of that is a town. Twenty houses, max. You can't see much because of distance, but there's an occasional flash you're pretty sure is armor>What the fuck even is this place?>It is currently 9:00 at night. The sun will set in one hour.

>>23683453>Well, fuck. You need water more than anything else.>You fill up your bottle with water from the stream you were in two days ago. That stream is now a fully-fledged river, and it's at least thirty feet wide now. You wouldn't want to tackle that with anything less than a whitewater raft.>The water looks clear, but you're uncertain. You know that drinking for a river can cause a lot of intestinal issues, which you'd rather avoid. At the same time, it wasn't exactly stagnant. So it may be safe.>You leave the bottle in your pack to contemplate the issue.>When it gets a bit darker, you approach the towers. You stay low on the ground, letting your suit blend in with the darkness>You don't dare get more than a few hundred feet closer, but that does give you a quite a bit of new information>For one, the complex has an underground. Or, at least, goes underground for a bit of time. You saw one guard enter a door near the ground, and he descended a staircase.>Two, it's not made of normal stone. It doesn't reflect light in the right way. If you had to guess, it's made of some kind of crystal.>The other major thing that stands out is the guard's uniforms. Unlike what you remember in the show, these have several red stripes on them. Their helmets also have strange-looking horns on them, almost like a devil's horns.>Fucking hell. What even is this?

>>23684562>You retreat back, still slithering along on your belly>Ok. So now you have two options:>Raid the town for supplies, or raid the base>It makes sense that the base would have better stuff. But it also had a much, much higher chance of getting caught.>God dammit, why do you have to be a human. You'd love to be able to just put on a disguise and hide in plain sight, or something.

>>23685707>First things first. You gotta get a weapon.>You browse the forest for a branch to use. If you can get something that's sturdy enough, you can use it as a makeshift club>You eventually find one that's suitable. It takes you half an hour to cut off, since your knife is so shit (and not a saw blade), but it's a decent weight and seems very stable.>Even better, the wood is black. So it's going to be almost as stealthy as you are.>From there, you decide that the best bet is to raid the base>You crawl out on your stomach again, getting much closer this time>You pick a tower near the middle. It seems to be mostly devoid of guards, which makes it the best candidate for entering.>Now...>Do you want to get inside, or hide on the staircases?

>>23690829>You creep inside the door, closing it quietly behind you>You walk slowly upstairs. The soft soles of your shoes do a lot to muffle your footsteps.>The stairs pass a corridor. That goes to a large wooden door, about thirty feet ahead of you. Down it, you hear muffled voices. >Do you go down this hallway, or continue walking?

>>23690871>You creep up to the door, careful not to make any noise>You press your ear to it>"Don't even know why we're stationed out here, really. Not like the Princesses are going to escape and run through half of Tartarus with no magic.">"Tirek's just making sure his pets stay nice and secure. Besides, it's a cushy job. Just kind of sit here.">"Sit here on top of a fucking powder keg!">"Hey, we gotta be able to blow this entrance somehow. You scared of a little gunpowder?">"A little?">"Ok, a lot of gunpowder. So what? It's under lock and key. Ain't no way anypony gets to the Corporal.">"I dunno, man.">"Well, just stop thinkin, alright? Our break's over anyway.">You hear chairs shift, and hoofsteps coming towards you>Oh Fuck

>>23691210>Well, fuck this.>You take off down the hallway as quickly as you can, reaching the stairs again>There's no obvious hiding spots...>Your only option is to either ascend or descend the stairs. Then you can hope they pick the other way, leaving you out of sight.>Which one?

>>23691784>You guess that upwards is probably the proper way to go>With a few steps, you traverse out of sight. Just in time, too, since you hear a door creak right as you do so.>One pair of hooves moves down the stairs. But... well, where's the other guy?>You crouch down on the stairs and take a quick look, to find a guard standing just outside of the door you were previously eavesdropping on.>Fuck. There's no way that you can get back down the stairs now>They'll definitely see>Well...>You suppose that you just need to keep going up>You move more slowly, checking around each corner in the spiral>Eventually, you see another corridor. It's completely empty, and much more well-lit than the other one.>The stairs continue upwards.

>>23692725>You slowly open the door, trying to make as little noise as possible>You slip inside the second you can squeeze through. >The room you enter is extremely barren. The only thing in it is rows and rows of cots, each with a small chest at their foot.>To your horror, one is occupied—and he's right by the door>You... are really glad he didn't wake up>Of course, this gives you a bit of a problem. Any movement you make has a chance of waking him.>You do, of course, have a knife, so it is possible for you to prevent him from waking ever again. That would be messy and noticeable, though. There is a chance that nobody will enter the room, but is it one you're willing to take?>You could also try to knock him out, but it you fail to do that in one hit, he'll make enough noise to alert the other guards.

>>23692839>Ok. Just have a quick look around the room, then...>You tiptoe past the guard, checking around the room>It's mostly empty—save for a small dagger, leaned against one of the chests>You pick it up>It has a large "T" carved into one side of the handle, with a rather disturbing image of Princess Celestia wearing a collar on the back>So, what next?

>>23693065
Definitely not this. This game is far closer to Nethack than Skyrim, my friend.

>>23693027>You attempt to lift one of the chests>Maybe it has something good in it?>Unfortunately, it's way too heavy for you to handle>You manage to lift it half an inch before it drops with a soft thud>You freeze>The guard stirs in his sleep>"No... I'm sorry, I had... stop...">Thankfully, he stays asleep.

So this isn't me punishing you guys for trying to seduce people. That's a legitimate gameplay strategy. The problem is this character's profile, and several dice rolls I made behind-the-scenes. I'm sorry about this, gentlemen. >>23693027>Well...>Applebloom did think you were a succubus, right?>Maybe you could try to seduce this guy>It's... possible, you suppose>You creep up to his bed>Ok. So you gotta... >You slip a hand onto the covers, where you think his crotch probably is>Hm. You actually get a handful of—>"W-What the fuck are you?"
"A succubus.">He squints>A second later, you get a hoof to the face>It's powerful enough to send you flying two feet. Nothing feels broken, but... fucking hell, that hurt.
You are officially in combat.>You regain your composure in time to see the guard charging you>You're currently leaned up against the wall. Obvious strategies are to roll right or roll left.

>>23693471I'll give you this guard's profile after you kill him. Or get murdered.

>>23693395>You jump to your feet, steadying your knife>If you do this right, he should impale himself with his own momentum. >"GET OUT!">To your surprise, this actually works>When he crashes his body into you, you sink the knife into his shoulder>He shouts in pain>"GAHHH!">He has you pinned, via his body, to the wall.>Your knife is still in his shoulder.>You'd better find a way to finish him off, fast—he's being loud as fuck right now

>>23693589
You are in no position to perform this action! (Pinned to wall)

>>23693527>You twist the knife>He screams, closing his eyes>"Looks like I penetrated you, huh?">He weakly attempts to slam you into the wall, but it does nothing>He's too weak>Blood is gushing all over your suit. He's losing a lot of it.

>>23693823>You take the knife out of his shoulder>The blade is surprisingly sharp. It slides out without any issue.>He tries to bring up a hoof to block you, but he's too late—you jab the knife into his eyes.>He has no time to scream.>With a spurt of blood, his body goes limp.

Your suit is now bloodied. Until it is washed, most ponies will assume you are hostile on sight.

>You throw his body off you, examining the damage>Your face hurts like crazy, and you probably have a fractured rib>Overall, though, not bad for your first real fight.>"Think we should wake him up?">You freeze>Voices, from outside at the door>"Nah. He has these nightmares all the time. Waking him up will just make them worse.">Fucking shit, two of them>There's no way you can take them>"Don't know why he signed up if he can't take it.">DOUBLE SHIT, THREE OF THEM>In a panic, you look around the room>There's lots of cots. Maybe you could hide under one?>His body is clearly visible and near the door. Maybe you could try to move it?>Hurry, though—you're probably running out of time

Note: From this post onwards, I will also take arguments into consideration. This means that debating other choices has a higher chance of getting your choice accepted.

Also note that I am going to be gone in about 45 minutes. I got invited to do stuff with IRL friends. Sorry, guys—I probably won't be gone that long.>>23693961
There are no sexy bad ends. There are bad ends, but they are very much non-sexy.

>>23694033>You try to open a nearby chest>Maybe you can stuff his body inside?>Unfortunately, it's locked>The other two you try are equally so>"What's that... noise?">"Is he up?">"We should check on him.">"No, he's fine.">"But what if he isn't? Normally he doesn't scream that loud.">You'd better hurry

You guys are getting Jesus rolls right now, holy fuck>>23694155>Uh...>Fucking hell>They seem to think he was having a nightmare. So maybe if you pretend to be him, and be asleep...>You make a snoring noise, trying to keep your voice as deep as possible. Hopefully your size makes it convincing enough.>"See, he's asleep.">"Hm. We should report him to the corporal. He needs something for those nightmares.">"Not like Luna's in a position to take them away, is she? Besides, it's Friday. Corporal's enjoying a present from Tirek.">"Lucky fucker.">You hear hoofsteps away from you>That...>Actually worked>Holy shit>You lean against the wall, taking deep breaths>Well, you've murdered two people>Good for you, you guess>Now to decide what else to do.>They mentioned something about this place being a powder keg, earlier—could be interesting to investigate.>They also mentioned their corporal enjoying a present. You have no idea what that means, but you can guess. >Of course, your main mission is still to get supplies...

>>23694298>You check through every chest in the room>Five in all open. You find a large variety of guard clothing and some bits, which you put in your pocket.

Current currency: 150 bits.

>You also find more of the daggers. They seem to be part of a series—you find a Twilight, a Luna, a Cadence, and another Celestia. All have collars and a desperate expression—Cadence's eyes are absolutely haunting, even in the small engraving>This... is not good

I'm going to go and do stuff with IRL people.

You guys should figure out what course of action to take. Discussing long-term goals is also an option. Unfortunately, this isn't RGS, so I don't think we can get by on inside jokes quite yet.

>>23694465>You try to put on some guard armor, but none of it works>It's all too small. You try to wear the chest plates as pauldrons, but those are too big. You look like a character out of a poorly-designed video game.>Now all you gotta do is clean up>You manage to heave the dead guard into a chest, closing the door over him. Thankfully, no blood seeps through, so it's not that noticeable.>You spend the next few minutes mopping up the blood. The guards undershirts make surprisingly effective towels. It won't hold up to any kind of close inspection, but the pooling effect is gone.>The knives you decide to keep. Maybe somebody could tell you what the hell they are.>With that, you decide that your little murderous adventure in the bunks is over. You walk to the door and open it a crack>Somepony is walking down the stairs. One pair of hoof-falls. You look out the door, trying to see who it is>To your surprise, it isn't a guard. It's a mare, probably around 15. Or whatever the pony equivalent of 15 is. She's crying softly to herself as she descends the stairs.>Hm. Must be the "treat".>Fuckers.>A few minutes after she disappears from view, another mare appears, ascending the stairs this time. She trembles lightly.>Hmmm...>Well, that other guard is probably still watching the other hallway>Which means that you have nowhere to go but up.>You creep out of the hallway after the second mare has been out of sight for a few minutes, slowly stepping onto the stairs>You see a small trail of moisture running down them. You bend down and rub it between your fingers.>To your absolute shock, it isn't semen. Or vaginal fluid. It's much too thick for either of them.>You bring it up to your nose and sniff it>...Maple syrup?>What the fuck>Shrugging, you keep heading up the stairs>You don't get far. The stairs end two flights up, bottoming out on a platform.

>>23698148>You press your ear up against the door to your left>All you hear is the whistling of the wind.>You crack open the door, taking a peak through>A lone guard stands, looking out from a balcony. There's a bridge to his left.>It's very dark out—a new moon. He has a torch, but it's by his side. Maybe you could skirt around him?>Of course, you could always backstab him. If you hit his spinal chord you'll kill him instantly. You may not be stealthy enough to do that, though, and risking a fight like this... Well, it's not the ideal situation.>You could always go and check out the other door, of course.

>>23698319>You'd better try the room>You close the door, walking back down the hallway>The syrup gets thicker as you travel down it, which is all sorts of disgusting.>When you reach the end of the hallway, you press your ear against the door>"Ey, don't be so scared! It'll be fun, I promise. I do this to a lot of mares, you know. Lot of other creatures, but I always like the mares the best.">Hm. So they're not into it yet.>"Just stand there. P-pour it on you. Just like that. Then I'll lick it off. This is your first time, so we don't even have to do anything else. Just p-pour the syrup. Pour it. Like that.">Jesus Christ>(Cleverness Stat) he's obviously doing this to one mare at a time. Perhaps now isn't the best time to interrupt?

>>23698530>Hm. Perhaps you can find some more treats?>An entire army of slaves storming him. Could be useful.>You tiptoe down the stairs, but you're stuck at the other guard's post again>He's still staring straight down the hall>Fucking hell.>Well, that idea's fucked, unless you find an alternate route.

>>23698873>You walk back up the stairs and press your ear to the captain's door>"V-Very good. Isn't it so... succulent and sweet? Just like you. That's enough, now. Run along back to the village—and don't tell anypony what you've done here.">You hear the clip-clop of hooves on the crystal floor>Fuck, she's headed for the door!>Even worse, you are at the top of the stairs. So hiding is going to be difficult>(Cleverness) There's only a single torch on the wall. If you extinguish it, the entire hallway is going to be pitch-black, making it easier to escape. Of course, the door will probably let out some light when it's opened...>You notice the hinges are on your side. You can squeeze against the wall, but if they open the door all the way, they'll notice you're there.

>>23703104>You blow out the torch, then press yourself against the wall near the door>Hopefully she won't notice...>"Run along, now.">The door opens and the mare stumbles out, looking straight ahead with wide eyes>She's still dripping a bit with syrup>Mother fucker>The door slams shut and you watch her walk down the hallway>Hmm...>You know, maybe you can get some info from her>You doubt she's going to have much loyalty to that fucker>Then again, revealing yourself to anybody is just asking for trouble...

>>23705160>You quickly commit the mare's appearence to memory>Light blue hair>Light pink coat>Earth Pony>No cutie mark. Must be Tirek's doing.>Now... How do you want to go about this?>Strip nude and try to seduce him, then knife him?>Or maybe a stealthier route. Slip in with the next mare. Or give the next mare a knife, even.

>>23705618
Yes. It really should be "Nary" but I fucked up, then decided to keep it.

I am going to be doing 4th of July things for the next 4.5ish hours. Maybe a bit longer. It seems like most of our players get on in the evening anyway, so I hope it's not a big deal. Hopefully, by the time I get back, we can have consensus again.

>>23705638>Hm. Ok. >He probably has another present up on the way right now. If you can intercept her, you may be able to get her to help you.>Now, the question is...>Do you want to do this in your suit, or in a lower level of dress?>A bloodied suit would be great for intimidating her into helping>But you won't really make any friends looking like a murderer. Which, you know, you are.

>>23709725>You remove your jacket and tie. Your pants still have some blood on them, but not nearly as much. >This gives you a mildly frighting appearance.>You hear the clip-clop of hooves on the crystal again. Shit, this is it. Showtime.>The mare that appears from the stairs is a teenager again. Sick fuck. She too lacks a cutie mark. Her mane is purple, along with her coat.>She's a unicorn. Not that it really matters, anyway—she probably has no magic.>"W-What are you?"

>>23710140
"Your friend. Not a friend of the guy in there.">"No, I mean—what species? What the hell—"
"That is not important. What is important is the fact that you've been sent up here to be raped.">The word hits her like a physical blow. She actually winces.>"They... they said he wouldn't—"
"Look, I listened to the last thing. It was some fucked up sit, ok?">She nods>"S—so why are you telling me this?"
"I'm going to stop it.">She blinks>"Stop it?">Well, that's a good question>What exactly is the plan?

>>23710803
"You just gotta keep his attention. I'll do the rest.">"And what is the rest?"
"I have this.">You flash the dagger at her
"I don't... like doing it, but I need to make sure he can't hurt you anymore.">"If—if you hurt him, they'll go after my family."
"They'll never know. I'm going to blow this whole fucking place to Tartarus—once I get his key. As far as they know, he'll die in a freak accident.">"I don't... I..."
"Listen.">You place a hand on her shoulder
"I'm helping you. I promise. All you have to do is distract him.">"T-That's it?"
"Yes.">She looks at the floor>Hmmm...
"How many times have you been sent here?">"S-Six."
"Then you know what he is.">"I know."
"And you know that you're not the only one. How many mares in your village have been his playthings? How many more will be?">She grits her teeth>"I'll do it."
"Good.">You squeeze her shoulder
"There's no need to be scared, little pony. Just distract him.">You gesture to the door
"Leave it open while you do it. I only need a bit of space.">She nods>"O-Okay.">She slips into the room, leaving the door open a crack behind her>You can hear them interact>"Ah, Grape Gracious! How nice of you to join me.">"H-Hello, Corporal.">"Well, let's get right to it, then, eh?">You peak through the crack>Oh, fucking shit>His bed is facing the door>The fucker is laying on it, fully erect. He's a big pony, too—Big Mac's size. And not his dick, his actual body. Although his dick is—>You shake your head, clearing it>Thankfully, he doesn't notice the crack. So, let's see...>His room is pretty big. Big enough that he has furniture away from the walls, which is good for you.>To the left of the door—which is where the crack is—is a small couch.>To the right is...>Holy shit. You are not getting paid enough to deal with this.>He has a giant pot of maple syrup. Like, a fucking GIANT pot.>At least a hundred gallons>What the absolute fuck...

>>23711457>You're going to have to wait until his vision is obscured. Completely obscured.>Then you can pick a direction>"Come on, then.">"I... I have something to show you, corporal.">The mare turns around, and the corporal's eyes widen>"W-Without an order?">Better think fast